SABAK BERNAM: Claims that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and son, Datuk Seri Mukhriz, to contest the general election on DAP ticket, shows that the two Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) leaders have lost faith in their own party's ability.
MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said this appeared to have revealed that both father and son have failed to gain the backing of their own party members.
“They are not confident with PPBM and are not getting the support of their own party members,” he said.
Liow was commenting to reports quoting Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi who said that there was a plot in PPBM to ensure Dr Mahathir and Mukhriz contest on the DAP ticket.
Puad said the plot had been devised following PPBM’s failure to garner support from the Malay community, especially in constituencies they were eyeing.
The Umno leader claimed that such attempt was done by the pro-Mahathir faction to sabotage PPBM and put the blame on the Registry of Societies (RoS).
Meanwhile, Liow said Dr Mahathir was harping on a non-issue if it was true that the former prime minister had claimed that RoS was delaying PPBM’s registration.
“This is just an issue being played up by PPBM. There is no arising matter from it because it is not that their party registration was rejected.
"It is in the process of (being registered) and of course, they will have to fulfill RoS’ condition.
“I think Dr Mahathir has run out of ideas and wants to bank on the RoS issue. The problem now is the PPBM members themselves had complained to RoS, which in turn had to protect the members,” said Liow.